Sugar-beet storage



Dec. 25 ,1923.

H. G.SCHWARZ SUGAR BEET STORAGE Filed June 18 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 D@ m N 8N m @uw 8.@ 3 @WN 8%@ 8MS d@ l f o mm.. I] 1| f o n a RJ j n @M c c c z f O WM o o. mw n L n n EAT/S53@ @el 25, w23.

l H. G. SCHWARZ SUGAR BEET STORAGE Filed J'une 18 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. HENRY cwmwz. l ik mec. 25, w23.' mmm@ H. G. SCHWARZ SUGAR BEET STORAGE Filed June 18 -1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 w w/.AHQRW L INVENTOR. L wm/ QSC/#mm Patented Dec. 25, i923.

earner carica,

` HENRY G. SCHWARZ, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SUGAR-BEET STORAGE.

Application filled June 18, 1919..,y Serial No.`305,135.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY G. SCHWARZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of -Colorado, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Sugar-Beet Storage, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the storage of sugarbeetsandits primary object is lto provide a novel, economical and labor-saving method of conveyingl sugar-beets to sheds in which they are stored for use in the factories.

With this object in view, my invention consists in providing a systemyof flumes above the surface of the storage shed, which as usual has a series of sunken troughs through which the beets are floated to the factory' by the waste Water of the sugar process. Y v

The beets brought in from the field are delivered into a receiving bin from where they are conveyed by a belt-conveyer, pneumatic beet-lift or othery suitable device to the `iumes above. the storage surface.

The beets are floated throughthe flumes by a supply of water and are dumped onto the storage surface at different points through gate-controlled outlets in the bot-` toms of the umes.

The Water used for floating the beets to the storage place is separated from the beets at the time they are discharged from the flumes and may be made to flow `to the sunken troughs in the storage surface for use in subsequentlyloating the beets to the factory. y I

Waste water from the factory may thus be used through the entire process ofV conveying the beets to and from the storage sheds, which at places where yaA supply of freshwater is not readily available, is of considerable economic value.

The fiumes abovev the storage surface. through which the beets are delivered, may be arranged in series at regular intervals and in connection with a header into which the beets and water are fed as hereinbefore explainedor.a single ume maybe placed above one end of the surface and a traveling lumeemployed to transport the beets and water from the stationary flume to different points of discharge.

When there are a numberof stationary flumes above the storage surface, they are separately controlled by gates so that the liquid and floating matter may be 'directed into any one of the umes separate from the others and when a traveling flume is employed in cooperation with a single stationary flume, both flumes are provided with the gate-controlled outlets and water separating appliances hereinbefore referred to.

It will be seen from this brief description of my invention that the installation and cost of operation and maintenance of the system of delivering beets t0 the storage sheds by flotation is considerably less than the expenses connected with installing, operating and maintaining the overhead tracks and wagon trucks at present commonly used for the same purpose.

My improved system has the further advantages of preventing injury to the beets in transportation and of cleaning the saine from adherent dirt before they are dumped onto the storage surface, the last-mentioned feature being of particular value since it promotes the circulation of air required to keep the beets from decomposition if stored for any length of time.

An embodiment of my invention in its preferred form has been shown in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which corresponding parts are designated by similar characters of reference and in which Figure l is a plan view of the system as composed of a series of stationary liumes;

Figure 2, a similar view of the system employing a traveling Hume;

Figure 3, an enlarged transverse section taken through one of the discharge gates of any one of the iumes as for .example along the line 3 3, in Figures l and 2;

Figure 4, a fragmentary section taken on the line 4 4, Figure 3;

Figure 5, an enlargedisection taken on the line V5--5, Figure 2,

Figure 6, afragmentary, further enlarged section on the line 6--6, Figure 2, and Figure 7 an enlarged section taken on the line 7-7, Figure l.l

.Referring first to Figure' l of the drawings the reference character 2 designates a storage shed which usually consists of an enclosed surface in which a plurality of par- 'allel troughs l are embedded for floating the beets to the plant and in the present construction they receive the Water for floating the beets, at their opposite ends from a superimposed transversely extending trough 6. Gates 7 at the discharge ends of the troughscontrol the passage of the beetsinto the header. t Y My improved conveying'system comprises a series of parallelflumes 8 mounted upon trestles 9 above the storage surface and connected at one of their ends to a header 10. The beets are delivered into the header from a conveniently disposed chute 12 or other conveying device connecting with a supply-bin, and the Water for floating the beets to and through the several flumes is supplied to the header through a valve-'controlled pipe 13. v

Gate valves 111 adjacent the entrances of the flumes control the passage of the floating` beets from the header into the same.

Each flume has a plurality of equidis? tantlydisposed gate-controlled outlets 15 for the` discharge of the beets onto the storage surface and beneath each outletis a straining device for separating the liquid from the beets before they reach the surface. The liquid separated from the beets is conducted into pipes 16 running parallel with the flumes and provided with discharge openings 17 above the before mentioned transverse trough 6 which feeds the liquid into the troughse of the storage surface.

The construction ofthe outlet gates and strainers of the lluines has been shown in detail in Figures 3 and t in Whichfthe reference numeral 1S designates the gate-housing which 'is connected between two separated sections of the flume and forms a con` tinuation thereof.V i s y Thev housing has infits Vbottom'an outlet 15 surrounded by a seat for a drop gate 19c which is hinged at one of itsv ends as atr20 and which inV its open position rests upon @an inclined seat 21 as indicated in lbroken lines in Figure 4. l Y Suspended from the flume beneathY the outlet is a hopper 22wvhich opens into the l corresponding Water pipe 16 and Vwhich in its opposite sides Vhas openings 23 through which the beets may pass onto the storage surface. Y

Alined with the lower ends of these openings are grates 24 Which slant from a vertex immediately beneath the outletofvthe'liiume in opposite directions. Flaps k25 pivotally suspended from,ithe gate-housing at opposite sides of 'the outlet of the flume guide the Vmatter ydischarge-d`v therethrough onto the grates Without the possibility of clogging.

It Will be seen that VWhen the gate l5 is opened Whichiis readily accomplished by means of a chain or rope 26 connectedV at 'its .end oppositie to that at which it is hinged, the beets and the liquid in Which they are floated, pass through the outlet 15 onto the grates, the liquid flowing 'between the bars thereof into the hopper 22 and the` .beets sliding along lthe same to be dumped from vvhich they are discharged bywater admitted to any one or more ofthe lsunken troughs, lfrom the transverse trough 6 which receives theliquid discharged from the pipes 16 associated with the iumes 8 as Y hereinbefore described.

In the construction shown in ,Figures 2,5 and 6, a single stationary flume 18.a connected with a transverse feed branch 35 is placed at a side of thestorage surface'in parallel relation to the sunkenA discharge troughs thereof. f l

A flume 27 which in construction is identical to the fiumes hereinbefore described, is

vmounted on a wheeled. carrier 28 which travels upon the rails 29 of a track supported above the storage surface in parallel relation' t0 the stationary flume, a bridge 30 forming part of the carrier 'to afford Vready access to the outlet gates of the flum'e.` llhe stationary flume is provided with sponts 31 in connection with its outlets, to Vdeliver thebeetsand the Water by Which` they are floated, into the yendoif the travel ing flume which 'extends aty right'angles4 A thereto. Y A The outlet gates ofthe Amoving'flume 'are identical to thosefhereinbefore described r.andthe strainers discharge the Water separated from the beets, into the drain-pipe 16a mounted ,on the carrier AWith its dis? charge end above a 'WaterJtroughBS placed vadjacent the stationary flume 18a Whlch as in the first-mentionedconstruction, delivers t y the Water into the transverse Water-trough 6a which discharges into the sunken troughs Pof the storage surface. j y' ,Y j

By removing the spouts 31 from the gate,

housingsA of the stationary flume, the beets f may be dumped upon the portion' of the storage surface immediately below theflume'i if so desired, the hoppers 22".1 ofitheflume beneath its. strainers beingy provided with Y spouts 34 which deliver the water'separated from the beets by thestrainer's, into the be- Y bore-mentioned trough 33.

In' the operation of the,last-described` form of my invention, the beets are float-ed in and through the fiume 18a from the transverse branch 35 to which the beets and Water are supplied from a 4conveniently located bin and source of Water supply.

The carrier Q8 is moved along its track to bring the end of its fiume in line With the several outlets of the stationary flume, and by opening the outlet gates of the traveling fiume, the beets are dumped at any desired noint of the storage surface While the Water by which they were floated through the iiumes is conducted to the stationary trough 33 by means of the drain pipe 16a.

The beets are thus evenly distributed over the storage surface free from adherent dirt, as in the operation of the first described ifo-rm of my invention, and are floated to the factory by the admission of Water to the sunken troughs.

Having thus described my invention what claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

l. In a beet-storing system, the combination with a storage-surface having means for the discharge of beets by flotation, a fiume above the surface, having outlets for beets and Water, strainers for separating the Water from the beets passing through the outlets, a conduit receiving the Water passing through the strainers, and means for conducting the Water discharged from the conduit, to the storage-surface for the removal of beets stored thereon, by flotation.

2. ln a beet storing system, the combination of an elevated fiume having outlets for beets and Water, gates normally closing the outlets and separately movable to an open position, an elevated track, a carrier movable thereon, a iiume on the carrier adapted to be brought in line with the outlets of the first-mentioned flume, to receive the beets and Water passing therethrough, the flume on the carrier having a plurality of outlets, gates normally closing the same, and strainers for separating the Water from the beets passing through the outlets, a conduit receiving the water passing through the strainers, and a stationary trough receiving the water discharged from the conduit.

3. In a beet-storing system, the combination of an elevated flume having an outlet for beets and Water, an elevated track, a carrier movable thereon, a fiume on the carrier adapted to be brought in line With the outlet of the irst-mentioned flume, to receive the beets and Water passing therethrough, the flume on the carrier having an outlet, a gate normally closing the same, and a strainer for separating the Water from the beets passing through the outlet, a conduit receiving the Water passing through the strainer, and a stationary trough receiving the Water discharged from the conduit.

4L. In a beet-storing system, the combinationv ofV an elevated fiume having an outlet for beets and Water, a gate normally closing the outlet, a strainer for separating Water from beets lpassing through the outlet, a removable spout above the strainer to receive beets and Water passing through the outlet, atroughf disposed toreceive water passing through the strainer, an elevated track, a carrier movable thereon, a flume on the carrier, adapted to be brought in line with the spout to receive the beets and Water passing through the outlet of the iirst-mentioned flume, the iiume on the carrier having an outlet, a gate normally closing the same, and a strainer for separating the Water from the beets passing through the outlet, and a conduit receiving the Water passing through the strainer and having an outlet above said trough.

5. In a beet-storing system, an elevated fiume having an outlet in its bottom, a gate' normally closing the same, a hopper beneath the outlet, a conduit connecting therewith, and a slanting grate in the hopper for separating Water from beets passing through the outlet, and delivering the beets outside of the hopper.

6. ln a beet-storing system, an elevated flume having an outlet in its bottom, a gate normally closing the same, a hopper beneath the outlet, a conduit connecting there- With, and grates slanting in opposite directions from a vertex in the hopper for separating Water from beets passing through the outlet, and delivering the beets outside of the hopper.

7. ln a beet-storing system, an elevated flume having an outlet in its bottom, a gate normally closing the same, a hopper beneath the outlet, a conduit connecting therewith, a slanting grate in the hopper for separating Water from beets passing through the outlet, and delivering the beets outside of the hopper, and a flap door at a side of the outlet, for guiding the beets onto the grate.

8. rIhe method of storing sugar beets consisting in floating beets in Water along a determinate course above a storage surface, and discharging the beets onto the surface at selected points in said course, separate from the conveying liquid.

9. rlihe method of storing sugar beets consisting in floating beets in Water along a determinate course above a storage surface, discharging the beets onto the surface at selected points in said course separate from the conveying liquid, and conveying the liquid separate from the beets, onto the surface to remove the beets stored thereon, by iiotation.

l0. A method of storing sugar beets consisting in conducting the beets along a determinate course above a storage surface by a natural Water flow, discharging the beets and'watertogether atseleoted points in said course, separating the Water from thebeets course, and separating the Water. from the before they reach the surface, and conveying 10 beets before they reach the surface. the water Separated from thebeets to the 11. A method of'storngy sugar beets constorage s'iirfaoe vfor use in removing beets ssting in Conducting the beets along a de- Stored thereon.v

terminate course above a storage surface by In testimony whereof I` have affixed my a natural Water flow, discharging the beetsl signatur-eg'/ and Water together at a given point-inl sind SCHWARZ@ 

